You can't eat the Venetian blinds.

There's a story in the news about some high-end medical equipment that has gone missing from hospitals here in Budapest. The equipment was obviously stolen, and stealing it was easy because the hospitals in question are currently in the process of closing down. You see, the Hungarian government is trying to fix a broken economy, and part of that process involves closing hospitals.

To their credit, those responsible for the equipment's disappearance knew what they were doing. For one thing, only the most expensive inventory is missing. For another thing, selling this particular stolen equipment is going to be a breeze. Most medical equipment would easy to track down, but because the purchase of high-end equipment for these hospitals was sponsored by private doctors and financed by medical foundations, the paper trail for the equipment is difficult (if not impossible) to follow.

The story screams inside job.

A related story, while not as visible, hit us closer to home last month. Dóra’s colleague Mark recently finished renovating his apartment here in the city. The work was nearing completion just a few weeks ago. All that remained was the installation of the major appliances: stove, oven, refrigerator, water heater, dishwasher, etc. The equipment was delivered the night before it was to be installed, but before that night was over, someone kicked in the door and hauled off all seven of the large appliances.

Again, the story screams inside job.

I've heard more of these stories in Hungary than I ever did in the other places I’ve lived. I realize this kind of crap happens all over the world, but in corruption-plagued countries like Hungary, it happens more often and at more levels of society. Everywhere you turn in Hungary there are people seeking to infiltrate the systems where money or goods are exchanged. They find their way in and skim what they can, be it medical equipment from a pediatric hospital or some guy’s refrigerator. I used to find myself wondering why.

Then, during a recent lecture on academic integrity, one of my students made the following argument: If a student is clever enough to cheat and not get caught by the teacher, then that is reason enough for the student to get a passing grade.

The majority of the class started nodding enthusiastically. They waited for my response, and I managed a reasonable rebuttal. I don’t, however, harbor any illusions. Most of them still believe their peer won that argument.

Interestingly, many of my students come from countries where corruption is an issue at every level of government. Many of them come from cultures where business transactions are hampered by a crippling lack of trust between parties.

It would surprise me if either the thieves from the hospital or the thieves from Mark’s apartment were ever apprehended. They studied the system. They identified a weak spot. And now thanks to their efforts, Hungary lacks machinery for its hospitals. As a result of their talent, homeowners in Budapest can’t trust contractors.

Meanwhile, Hungary’s government is trying to fix a broken economy.

Finally, please check out my brother Myles's music store. He's quite good, and by quite good, I mean excellent. But you don't have to take my word for it...